Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day, Dad


My dad, Wayne Livesay, turned eighty-seven years old a few days ago (June 16). He is now wheelchair-bound and resides in an assisted living facility. I see him daily, and my wife sees him almost daily.

He has had a long and productive life of service to the Lord, service to his family, and service to his country. He spent a number of years as a pastor, and he is a retired employee of the State of California Department of Corrections. During World War II, he flew thirty-three bombing missions over Germany as a B-17 navigator. On his last mission, he was shot down and spent nine months as a prisoner of war before being liberated by General Patton’s Third Army. Accounts of some of his experiences may be found
here, here, and here.

My dad is a real American hero, and he is one of my heroes. Our World War II heroes are dying off very quickly. Soon there will be none left. The members of "the greatest generation" have a legacy of self-sacrifice and service second to none, and they need to be remembered. I am very proud of my dad's service to our country.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

4 comments:

  1. Beautifully written Ron. What a legacy.

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  2. Very, very cool, Dad.

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  3. That is so cool and sweet. It made me miss my grandfather. Thank you so much for sharing that.

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  4. I’m so glad the Lord Jesus placed me in the home of the Livesay. I am Blessed to say, I had and will never forget! 'THE GREATEST MENTOR....A MAN THAT WALKED, TALKED AND LIVE AS THE EXAMPLE OF WHOM OUR CHRIST IS!!!!! I loved these two people as my own family. I will never forget them. I will always hold them dear to my heart.IM sad to say my last letter I send was returned to me unanswered if I had only returned 1yr sooner, I would have had a chance to say good bye! Allison and I now have closure.

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